Encroachment of aqueous solutions, having a distinct ionic makeup from connate water into subterranean oil-bearing sandstone formations containing clays, often result in reduced fluid flow, and therefore, reduced oil production or fluid injection. Ionically distinct fluids can encroach into a subterranean sandstone formation from a variety of sources, such as an underlying aquifer, a secondary or tertiary oil recovery flood or treatment fluids utilized in the near well bore environment. Two different types of clay damage can result from encroachment of aqueous solutions having distinct ionic makeup. First is clay swelling. Swellable clays, such as montmorillonite, have interstitial layers. Fresh water contact affects the ionic properties between these interstitial layers and swells these clays thereby impeding fluid flow therethrough. Second is clay particle migration. Migratable clays, such as poorly cemented kaolinite and illite clay particles, become detached from the subterranean sandstone formation during flow of fresh water therethrough. The resultant mobile clay particles can become trapped in the formation pore-throat openings thereby reducing permeability and fluid flow therethrough. Encroachment of aqueous solutions having a distinct ionic makeup, such as fresh water, often results in the occurrence of both types of permeability damage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,560 to Sydansk provides a clay stabilization process utilizing potassium hydroxide, which prevents fresh water permeability damage to subterranean formation containing clays by permanently stabilizing such clays. However, the effectiveness of this process is, to an extent, limited by the kinetics of the caustic/sandstone interaction. Generally, the kinetics of the process are considerably less favorable in low temperature formations. As such, a clay stabilization process is needed which has more favorable kinetics, especially in low temperature formations.